Shopify vs Shopify Plus: Which Plan is Right for Australian Business?
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Table of Contents
- Understanding Shopify Plans: Shopify vs Shopify Plus
- What are the Differences in Both the Plans? (Comparison Table)
- Difference in Shopify and Shopify Plus Explained for Australian Users
- Features You Only Get in the Shopify Plus Package
- Who Should Move to Shopify Plus from Shopify?
- When You Should Not Move to Shopify Plus from Shopify Standard Package?
- Verdict: Shopify Plus vs Shopify
- How WP Creative Helps You Migrate to Shopify Plus in Australia?
For beginners to Shopify store management, choosing the right Shopify platform is crucial, as each platform offers different benefits and limitations.
Choosing a higher pricing plan can cause more overhead costs and features that may not suit your business.
In this article, we’ll explore the various Shopify plans and help you determine which one is best for you, especially if you’re just starting out.
Understanding Shopify Plans: Shopify vs Shopify Plus
What Do You Get in Shopify?
Shopify is a no-code e-commerce platform that allows you to easily create and customise your online store. You can manage everything from payment processing to inventory and marketing tools—all without needing to write code. Shopify offers four main pricing plans, starting with the Basic plan at $29/month and going up to the Advanced plan at $299/month. Each tier comes with its own set of features and add-ons, designed to meet different business needs.
Curious about how much Shopify development costs in Australia? Read our full cost breakdown!
What Do You Get in Shopify Plus?
Shopify also offers Shopify Plus, an enterprise-level solution priced at around $2,300/month. This plan is ideal for large businesses or enterprises managing thousands of products or pages. Shopify Plus provides advanced customisation options, dedicated support, and infrastructure built to handle high traffic and complex operations.
What are the Differences in Both the Plans? (Comparison Table)
| Feature | Shopify | Shopify Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From AU$59/month | From AU$ 3,600/month approx. |
| Theme Customisation | Basic editing | Full control |
| Checkout Customisation | Not available | Full access + scripts |
| Support | Standard 24/7 | Dedicated Aussie rep |
| Scalability | Suits small–medium biz | Built for enterprise |
| Automation | Basic tools | Shopify Flow |
| Wholesale/B2B | Not available | Built-in |
| API Access | Standard | Extended limits |
| Multi-store Admin | Not included | Centralised dashboard |
| Advanced Reports | Limited (Advanced plan) | Full analytics & BI tools |
| Global Selling | Manual setup | Native AUD & multi-currency |
| Onboarding Help | Self-guided | Launch engineer support |
| Staff Accounts | Up to 15 | Unlimited |
| Inventory Locations | Up to 10 | Up to 200 |
| POS Pro | Add-on ($139 AUD/month/location) | Included (up to 200 locations) |
| Theme Storage | Up to 20 themes | Up to 100 themes |
| AI Tools | Shopify Magic (basic) | Advanced AI & automation |
| Launchpad Access | Not included | Included |
| Omnichannel Selling | Basic (e.g. Meta, Insta) | Full marketplace integration |
Difference in Shopify and Shopify Plus Explained for Australian Users
Shopify:
1. Pricing & Scalability
The price of Shopify starts from AU$59/month, which is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses with moderate traffic. They can further scale upwards if the traffic or the order volume to their store increases.
2. Customisation & Automation
Shopify users get basic customisation for themes, add-on plugins, and limited automation options for emails and workflows. However, this are enough customisations for anyone that is just starting with Shopify or their first ecommerce business.
3. Support & API Access
Shopify users have access to standard API access for basic integrations from other channels such as email marketing, ecommerce platforms, and products. Further, they can use Admin API, Storefront API, REST API, and GraphQL API to manage an ecommerce store with ease.
4. Reporting & Analytics
Shopify users get basic reporting and analytics integration pre-built into their ecommerce platform. This allows them to manage and keep track of their products, pricing, and order volume.
Shopify Plus
1. Enterprise-Level Features and Scalability
Without argument, Shopify Plus is built for high-volume businesses and enterprises with complex needs. The platform is designed to handle millions of transactions, large inventories, and multiple sales channels.
This is a key differentiator between Shopify standard package and Shopify Plus. As Shopify Plus supports unlimited staff accounts, 200+ inventory locations, and advanced reporting capabilities. Think of ecommerce stores that are at par with Amazon, Walmart, and other big brands. If you want to create an ecommerce store of that level, then Shopify Plus is for you.
2. Advanced Customisation & Flexibility
Shopify Plus offers full control over your checkout process, allowing for custom pricing, shipping options, and unique promotions through Shopify Scripts.
Unlike standard plans, you also get advanced theme customisations and the ability to create custom apps – something you do not get in the Shopify standard package. All these features combined enable unique integrations and functionalities tailored to complex business needs.
Want to know if you can convert a Shopify theme to WordPress? Check out our full guide.
3. Dedicated Support & Personalisation
Shopify Plus also offers a dedicated account manager, providing you with a direct line to the Shopify support team – something you won’t find in a standard Shopify package. The Shopify team will also offer advanced training and onboarding assistance if needed. This level of personalisation is essential for any business on a growth trajectory, relying on an e-commerce platform that can offer sustainability and scalability for managing millions of products.
4. Enhanced API Access & Automation
Shopify Plus offers extended API access, allowing you to integrate your ERP or CRM solutions directly with your Shopify store. These integrations can significantly impact your business, providing functionalities not available in the standard Shopify package. With Shopify Plus, you gain access to all the automations within the system, enabling you to easily capture leads, target them, manage their orders, retain customers, and even execute marketing actions like sending translations or marketing emails.
5. Multi-Store Management
While Shopify and Shopify Plus have a significant price difference, with Shopify Plus costing around 10 times more, the added value is substantial for businesses aiming to expand their reach. Shopify Plus empowers your e-commerce store with robust wholesale capabilities, enabling you to seamlessly connect with both direct customers and B2B businesses. This plan allows you to implement different pricing structures, offer exclusive discounts, and even run multiple websites under the same domain. Such versatility and advanced features are not available with the standard Shopify package, even with third-party apps.
Features You Only Get in the Shopify Plus Package
1. Increased Checkout Capacity
Shopify Plus offers increased checkout capability, allowing you to fulfil orders for up to 160,000 products per minute. This feature is not available in the standard Shopify package and is something you won’t find in many other platforms. It’s a unique offering exclusive to Shopify Plus.
2. Localise Store for Multiple Locations
Shopify Plus also allows you to localise your e-commerce store for up to 50 different locations or languages. This feature is not available in the standard Shopify package and would typically require a significant amount of time to customise for different locations if you were creating an e-commerce store from scratch. Shopify Plus provides this capability, making it a valuable offering.
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3. Launchpad App
One of the exclusive features Shopify Plus offers is the Launchpad app. Essentially, this app provides event scheduling options, automated discounts, and theme changes. For instance, if you’re running an event on your website with other products by default, the Launchpad app can enable that for you. It also allows BOGO options, temporary discounts, and the ability to announce product releases. Furthermore, you can run multiple events simultaneously on different websites under your Shopify Plus account.
4. Custom Scripts
Shopify also offers a custom scripts option that you can use to customise the checkout process, modify cart behaviour, automate order processing, or personalise your product pages. This feature is not available with the standard Shopify package at all.
5. Shopify POS Pro
One of the offerings from Shopify Plus is the POS Pro option. Essentially, it provides you with 200 designated point-of-sale options, allowing you to directly sell your products on the ground. These POS systems are seamlessly connected to your website, ensuring that all orders are tracked and processed in real-time. Additionally, all the data is available on your Shopify store, accessible from anywhere online.
Read More: How to Set Up Shopify Order Tracking for Australian Customers
Who Should Move to Shopify Plus from Shopify?
One common question is whether to upgrade from a Shopify store to Shopify Plus. While Shopify Plus offers numerous benefits, the real question is whether the cost justifies those benefits. At approximately $4,000 AUD per month, it’s essential to evaluate the impact on your business.
If your business is high-performing, generating over $1 million annually or $100,000 monthly, and you can offset costs by reducing work or human resources, then upgrading makes sense. Shopify Plus is ideally suited for high-growth businesses with global needs and requiring extensive customisation options.
Ideally, Shopify Plus is for business owners who have:
- High-Volume Retailers: Over $1 million in annual revenue or thousands of daily transactions.
- Global Businesses: Companies selling in multiple countries with multi-currency and multi-language needs.
- Requiring Advanced Customisations: Businesses requiring advanced customisations in checkout, like scripts or complex logic.
- Omnichannel Store Owners: Retailers who sell both online and in-store and need POS integration with advanced reporting.
- B2B/Wholesale Operations: Businesses offering wholesale pricing, custom discounts, or bulk ordering.
- Companies on Rapid Growth: Companies anticipating high scalability with rapid traffic growth and an increasing number of products (over 10,000+ SKUs) and orders.
No matter which plan you choose, speed matters. Learn how to speed up your Shopify store for better performance!
When You Should Not Move to Shopify Plus from Shopify Standard Package?
1. Cost vs ROI Doesn’t Add Up for Most
If your annual ROI is under six figures, upgrading to Shopify Plus doesn’t make financial sense.
You’ll be spending AU$3,600+ per month for features you might not use.
Most customisations, even advanced ones, can be done using apps and themes on the standard Shopify plan.
2. Standard Integrations Are More Flexible
Shopify Standard has a larger pool of public apps and integrations that are easier to test, swap, or cancel.
Many merchants find that the plugin ecosystem in the standard plans gives them more flexibility than Plus, which leans on enterprise-specific integrations that may not be necessary for small/medium operations.
3. You’re Still Locked Into the Shopify Ecosystem
Moving to Shopify Plus doesn’t unlock freedom—it deepens your lock-in.
You’re still using Shopify’s core system, and you don’t get source code access, open hosting, or the ability to move data easily.
If you ever want to scale beyond Shopify, migrating becomes harder due to deep system dependencies.
Verdict: Shopify Plus vs Shopify
Choosing between Shopify and Shopify Plus depends on your business’s specific needs, scale, and budget.
Shopify is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses seeking a robust ecommerce platform with essential features and lower transaction fees.
On the other hand, Shopify Plus offers advanced customisation, dedicated support, and exclusive features like Shopify Flow and Launchpad, making it the best ecommerce platform for large-scale businesses anticipating significant growth.
However, Shopify Plus is not for everyone!
Evaluate your business requirements and future goals to determine the most suitable Shopify plan for your Australian business. If you are confused, get in touch with us for a free development consultation for your Shopify store.
If SEO is part of your growth plan, don’t miss our in-depth Shopify SEO optimisation guide.
How WP Creative Helps You Migrate to Shopify Plus in Australia?
WP Creative is one of Australia’s top Shopify development agencies, trusted by businesses looking to upgrade from Shopify Standard to Shopify Plus. If you’re in Australia and considering this move, our team can guide you through the entire Shopify migration process smoothly, ensuring your store remains operational with minimal disruption.
Our expert Shopify developers can help enhance your online store with advanced customisations and Shopify SEO services, including custom checkout flows, improved order processing, and seamless integration of third-party tools. We also support multi-language and multi-currency setups to localise your store for different markets, giving you full control over your Shopify Plus environment.
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